Teachers to shred standardized tests in Pearson protest

Union leaders in New York will shred standardized tests Monday night in Albany to protest testing giant Pearson and attempts to "privatize -- and profit from -- public education."

Gannett's Albany Bureau reported last year that Pearson, the London-based education company, as a lock on most testing contracts in New York. It creates the tests for students, as well as the certification exams for teachers.

"The 'Public Education, Not Private Profits' protest is designed to call attention to the wealthy elite who are trying to privatize public education and profit from New York students, while taking away the rights of teachers and working people," NYSUT president Karen Magee said in a statement.

The protest will be will be held Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the steps of the state Education Department building, which is across the street from the Capitol.

The protest is part of NYSUT’s three-day endorsement conference, where local union presidents will weigh decide what state and federal candidates to endorse.

Albany bureau chief:
Joseph Spector is Gannett's Albany Bureau chief and has covered New York politics and government since 2002. He was the political reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester and in 2007 joined Gannett’s Albany Bureau, covering state government for seven news organizations&nbsp;and USA Today.